Armando António Martins Vara (born 1954, Vinhais) is a Portuguese politician, member of the Portuguese Socialist Party, and banking administrator. He enrolled in philosophy, at the New University of Lisbon, leaving the institution without being awarded a degree. Throughout his life he was an employee at the state-owned bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos where he worked in several different positions ranging from clerk (it was his first job) to administrator (appointed in 2005, three days after has been awarded a degree in international relations by the Independente University), and was deputy to the Portuguese Assembleia da República for several years. In addition, Vara is a former Secretary of State, Minister of Home Affairs, and Minister of Youth and Sports in the Portuguese Government, always by the Socialists. In January 2008, he was appointed vice-chairman of Millennium bcp bank. In October 2009 it was reported that Vara is an arguido (formal suspect) in the Face Oculta scandal.